Chia-Ying Tu from Taiwan shares her thoughts on learning English at Kings!

How long have you been at Kings and what course are you taking?
I’ve been studying English at Kings Bournemouth for about four months now. I’m doing an intensive English course which includes some preparation classes for the IELTS exam.

What do you enjoy most about the lessons, and how many people are in your class?
The thing I like most is having the opportunity to meet and talk with people from all sorts of different cultural backgrounds. It makes for a really interesting environment and helps learning.

Why did you decide to take this course? Do you have specific plans which require English skills?
My English needs to improve in order to get the IELTS grade I need. If I am able to do this, I would like to do a Master’s in Marketing at university in Bournemouth. Better English can mean better job prospects also in Taiwan, and of course it’s easier to travel with good English.

What made you choose Kings over another language school?
Firstly I decided that I wanted to study in a beach city. When I had chosen Bournemouth, I searched online and I thought that Kings made a good impression through their website – a strong identity, a very compete website detailing everything a student needs to know before they commit to an overseas course.

Are you enjoying your experience so far, and what have been the highlights?
Yes, so far! December was a really interesting experience for me, seeing how Christmas and New Year are experienced in local cultures different to my own.

Had you been to Bournemouth before? What do you like most about it?
Before coming to Bournemouth, I had only travelled to Taiwan’s neighbours – Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines. I love being in a place where I can make friends from around the world. I now have good friends from Japan, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Korea and Spain. It’s fun learning English together!

Where are you staying here? Would you recommend it?
I’ve been living in a homestay, which is a good arrangement because it is secure and helps you get to know a new place.

Have you done any activities or excursions here, and if so, what has been the highlight?
I enjoy practising my English with lots of other students in the school’s Conversation Club. I had good fun at the Halloween Party, I did a boat trip to a place called Brownsea Island, and I like going to the pub and on shopping trips with other students.